In conventional film-screen radiography, an object, such as a patient's body part, is exposed to x-rays projected through the object to the film-screen to produce a latent x-ray image of the object in the film. The film is then processed with chemicals or heat to produce a visual x-ray image for analysis by a medical practitioner. Computed radiography (CR) eliminates the necessity of developing film with chemicals or heat by producing a latent x-ray image in a storage phosphor which is subsequently scanned to produce a digital radiographic image that can be viewed on an electronic display. The storage phosphor can then be erased and reused.
Typically, the storage phosphor (often referred to as a storage phosphor screen or storage phosphor plate) is contained in a light tight cassette. The cassette containing an exposed storage phosphor is presented to a storage phosphor reader (also referred to as a CR reader) where the exposed storage phosphor is removed from the cassette, scanned to produce a digital image, erased, and replaced in the cassette.
Most CR systems sold in the industry will process four standard cassette sizes. (18×24 cm, 24×30 cm, 35×35 cm, and 35×43 cm). While these sizes are adequate to satisfy most of the requirements of a typical radiography department, such conventional size CR cassettes are limited in size and so may be unsuitable for imaging elongated body regions, such as the full spine or a leg.
Various solutions have been proposed for imaging an elongated body region using a CR screen/plate. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,987 (Steklenski), commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference, which is directed to an elongated computed radiography cassette. Another examples is U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,062 (Brahm), commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference, which is directed to an apparatus for radiographically imaging elongated objects wherein the apparatus is adapted to support a CR plate in overlapping arrangement with a cassette housing a CR plate. Other solutions have been proposed, for example see U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,598 (Minnigh).
It may be desirable to have such cassette/apparatus be portable. However, such cassettes/apparatus can be heavy and/or cumbersome because of their elongated configuration. As such, there exists a need for a portable solution for the imaging of an elongated body region using CR technology.
The present invention provides means for porting an elongated CR cassette/apparatus.